An attractive option for many reasons, though, is to buy the laptop with Linux preloaded, as I've noted before. You typically pay a little bit more, but you also avoid any headaches that may arise from getting everything to “just work.”

Buying hardware with Linux preloaded also helps ensure that usage statistics for the free and open source operating system are a little more accurate by making sure your operating system “vote” gets officially counted.

In any case, last week Linux-focused vendor ZaReason launched a brand-new Linux laptop targeting the high end of the market, and it looks pretty attractive. Here's a quick rundown of some of the key features in ZaReason's Verix 2.5, which is available now priced starting at $1,799.00.

An i7 Option

The 15.6-inch Verix 2.5's base configuration includes a 2.3GHz Intel i3-2350M processor with two cores and four threads, but i5 and i7 alternatives with up to eight threads are also available for an extra charge.

A bright LED backlit display offers 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution, while a subwoofer and speakers on both sides of the keyboard promise quality sound output. Bluetooth, 802.11 B/G/N WiFi, a 3.0 megapixel webcam, and a combo CD-RW and dual-layer DVD-RW drive are also included.